A Garden Set in Stone

Garden designer Brendan Butler had local granite slabs hand-torched to reveal the rough grain of the stone, seen here on a walkway leading to the front door.

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A Garden Set in stone

The rectangular shapes of the stone relate to the geometry of the house.

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A Garden Set in stone

The peeling, cinnamon-colored bark of a river birch tree is a contrast to the smooth granite "bridge" arched over the dry riverbed.

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A Garden Set in stone

Butler chose to plant horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) along a pathway partly because of its verticality; the reedy stems help to break up the expanse of brick on the house's facade.

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A Garden Set in stone

Instead of doing any formal planning on paper, Butler (left) and homeowner Jeff Doud developed the look of the yard gradually, taking walks to decide what needed to be added or changed.

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A Garden Set in stone

A Kousa dogwood tree is given prominent placement behind the stone wall, surrounded by a variety of native mosses around its trunk.

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A Garden Set in stone

Dwarf mondo grass grows near a stone pathway that runs parallel to the house; the no-maintenance grass fulfills a need for something low and dark green, says Butler, but requires no mowing.

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A Garden Set in stone

The property's many Japanese maples change to vivid shades of yellow, red and orange in the fall.

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A Garden Set in stone

In the backyard, a miniature garden was planted in the center of the extensive deck. The tableau Butler created mixes a hand-trained serpentine weeping birch, succulents and a carefully placed assortment of stones and boulders, which are, incidentally, all pointing from north to south, to channel the flow of energy through the garden.

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